warner bros
Latest
Lego Marvel Super Heroes to make Xbox One launch in US
The Lego Marvel Super Heroes assemble alongside the Xbox One next week in the US after all, while in Europe they're due a week later on November 29. Warner Bros. told Game Informer the Xbox One version of TT Games' hero-stuffed platformer will hit US retail shelves on November 22. When approached, a Warner Bros. UK representative confirmed the information with Joystiq. Just like its variety of super-people - WB says there are more than 100 playable characters - Lego Marvel Super Heroes is available on an assortment of other platforms, starting today. You can pick it up alongside a super fresh PS4, or on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, 3DS, and Vita.
Batman Arkham Collection packs three Batmans into one box
The Batman Arkham Collection will arrive on November 22 in the UK, Warner Bros. announced today. The bundle packs the two Rocksteady-developed Arkham games, Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City along with WB Games Montreal's Batman: Arkham Origins into one batsuit. Arkham Asylum and Arkham City will both be included as download codes for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the collection, with the PS3 bundle also receiving the Knightfall DLC pack for Arkham Origins. The PC version of the bundle will feature Game of the Year editions of either game, which grants players bonus DLC like Harley Quinn's Revenge for Arkham City and six additional maps for Arkham Asylum. Those two games are in a bundle of their own, which GameStop unveiled in September. We've contacted Warner Bros. to see if the Arkham Collection will arrive in North America as well.
Warner Bros. Humble Bundle adds Mortal Kombat, FEAR, more
The Warner Bros. Humble Bundle, which runs until November 19, has added some new games and DLC today. Those who have yet to pay over the average or have already done so will find Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection, FEAR, Guardians of Middle-earth (including "Smaug's Treasure" add-on) and a special starter pack, which includes exclusive boosts, armor and quests, for Lord of the Rings Online available. On top of the free games, there's also a weapon pack for free-to-play shooter Gotham City Impostors, plus some additional skins for Batman: Arkham Origins. That last one is a little odd considering the game isn't even included in this bundle. The Warner Bros. Humble Bundle made its debut last week, offering up a collection of six games: Game of the Year versions of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, along with FEAR 2 Project Origin, FEAR 3, Scribblenauts Unlimited and Lord of the Rings: War in the North. The Warner Bros. Humble Bundle will be live for the next five days.
Report: Lego Marvel Super Heroes won't appear at Xbox One launch
Initially slated for release on November 22 to coincide with the Xbox One launch, Lego Marvel Super Heroes has been delayed, reports MCV. Though it's still expected to appear reasonably soon, publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is currently unable or unwilling to offer a new release date for the game. "We will provide a release date for Lego Marvel Super Heroes on Xbox One as soon as possible," the company told MCV, after confirming that it would not be ready in time for the Xbox One launch. The key question now is whether this delay is global or if it only affects the UK, where MCV is located. We've attempted to contact Warner Bros. Interactive for clarification on when North American gamers can expect to see Lego Marvel Super Heroes on Microsoft's next console, but have so far received no response.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor takes the Tolkien universe to next-gen systems
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a new third-person action game in development by Monolith Productions, publisher Warner Bros. announced today. As the title indicates, the game is placed in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings universe, and has players assuming the guise of the "valiant ranger" Talion. Both Talion and his family are killed by series baddie Sauron, leading to Talion's resurrection by a rather vengeful spirit that grants him Wraith-like supernatural abilities. Warner Bros. boasted a "dynamic world" in the game that is expected to remember and adapt to players' choices as well as "craft their own battles, enemies and rewards." While no release date was given for Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, the game will arrive on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3 and PC.
Lego: The Lord of the Rings wants to be found on iOS
Some things that should not have been forgotten were lost - until now(!). That's because Lego: Lord of the Rings ventured onto the App Store today, a year after it was first released. While it's unconfirmed, history tell us the $5 iOS version is probably a port of the handheld fellowship on 3DS and Vita. The App Store notes there are over 90 playable characters, two control systems, and Game Center achievements, but there's no mention of co-op.
Warner Bros. Humble Bundle on the way [update: confirmed, live]
Update: Humble Bundle confirmed it's launching a WB Games bundle that's expected later today, featuring six games: F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin, F.E.A.R. 3, Lord of the Rings: War in the North, Scribblenauts Unlimited, and the Game of the Year Editions of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City. Each game purchase is redeemable through Steam, but you'll have to pay over the average to unlock Scribblenauts Unlimited and Arkham City. Update 2: The WB Games collection is live and kicking on Humble Bundle. It'll run for two weeks, ending on November 19. Original Story: Warner Bros will become the latest big-name company to take center stage in a Humble Bundle, going by an apparently premature update (deleted but screen-capped above) on the Scribblenauts Facebook page. The series' official account listed Scribblenauts Unlimited as one of six games included in a bundle raising money for DC Entertainment's We Can Be Heroes charity campaign, but said bundle isn't live (yet). We've reached out to Warner Bros. for comment. If accurate, Warner Bros. would follow EA, Double Fine, and THQ as one of the rather more recognizable names to get in on the Humble Bundle act. The site partially raises money for charity by featuring downloadable collections of games at pay-what-you-want prices, such as the weekly sale on games by Worms dev Team 17 that it's currently hosting.
Infinite Crisis shows off Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn has gone from being a simple sidekick for the Joker to being a respected villain in her own right, albeit one that's generally seen as something of an airhead. It's easy to forget that she was a psychiatrist assigned to take care of the Joker in the first place. So it kind of makes sense that she'd be more than just another pretty smash-happy character in Infinite Crisis, instead taking a more subtle role as a healer and support. Harley's passive ability buffs movement and attack speed for all nearby allies, while her activated abilities consist of a direct heal, a ranged attack, a knockback, and a knockup. The net result is that Harley works as support for teammates, knocking away certain enemies while keeping her immediate team healed and buffed. Check out the video preview past the break for more details on how to make the most of Harley's specific arsenal.
Batman: Arkham Origins bugs prompt Warner Bros. apology
Following its recent launch, Batman: Arkham Origins greeted players with a number of game-breaking glitches - so many that publisher Warner Bros. Interactive has issued a public apology. The lengthy missive does its best to reassure players before outlining the three issues causing the most problems: players falling through the game's geometry, a vanishing "Continue" option on the main menu and an odd bug that removes FreeFlow Focus combat mode once a player has attained a third rank in the Shadow Vigilante skill. Helpfully, Warner Bros. claims to be working diligently to fix these problems. "The team has been working around the clock to review, validate and pinpoint the problems that have been reported and we have identified three main issues which we are tackling first, and are listed below," reads a message added to the official Arkham Origins forums. "For these issues, we expect the software update to be available within the next week."
Young Justice: Legacy canceled for Wii U, Wii because of 'several factors'
Cartoon Network's Young Justice won't be leaving a Legacy on Wii U or Wii, after developer Little Orbit and publisher Warner Bros. opted to cancel the spin-off for the two Nintendo consoles. According to a statement on the game's Facebook page, the decision was made because of "several factors," including quality issues and low interest from retailers. The cancellation comes in the month before Young Justice: Legacy is due, but the action-RPG remains set for PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and 3DS. The game will star the show's league of precocious heroes, chronicling the events between the first and second series.
Bats in the top of UK chart belfry
Batman: Arkham Origins topples GTA 5 to become the UK No. 1, although it does so with only around half the first week sales of Arkham City. Chart Track says Origins' opening week "almost exactly" matches that of first Arkham game Asylum. Some bat-stats: City shipped 6 million units by the close of 2011, and Asylum 4.3 million at last count. We should note those Origins sales do include the Blackgate Vita game, but no other platforms beyond Xbox 360 and PS3; the Wii U, packaged PC, and 3DS versions are all delayed in the UK until November 8. Holy technicalities, Batman! As for the rest of the charts, it's the kind of week where one big name game shifts all of the top 5 down one place - a bit quiet. However, everything changes next month, starting this coming week. We'll soon see the arrivals of Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Battlefield 4, Super Mario 3D World, A Link Between Worlds - and those are just the games coming out on consoles already out. In a word, next month is going to be loco.
Watch 17 minutes of Batman: Arkham Origins on this bat-channel
Warner Bros uncowled (it's a word) a walkthrough video of Batman: Arkham Origins, ahead of the dark knight's new adventure coming to retail shelves this week. WB Montreal Senior Producer Ben Mattes and Gameplay Director Michael McIntyre are your tour guides, taking you through a fulsome 17 minutes of the studio's prequel chapter in the Arkham saga. Spoiler warnings ahoy: The vid introduces iconic elements like the Batcave and Batwing, and takes you through a mission in which the Bat has to deal with a corrupt SWAT team who, like the villains, are also after the bounty placed on the hero's head. Arkham Origins swoops into stores on Friday, October 25, on Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U, and PC. UK heroes-to-be will have to wait until November 8 for the Wii U and boxed PC versions.
Wii U, 3DS and boxed PC Batman: Arkham Origins delayed in UK, not North America
The Wii U and boxed PC versions of Batman: Arkham Origins have been delayed to November 8 in the UK, CVG reported. The Xbox 360, PS3 and digital PC versions of the game will still launch on October 25. Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate has also been delayed to November 8 on 3DS, but not on Vita. That's not the case for North American players, however. A Warner Bros. representative told Joystiq that "Batman: Arkham Origins will launch on all platforms in North America on October 25." Warner Bros. did not provide a reason for the delay for its UK audience.
Have an early knight with Batman: Arkham Origins iOS brawler, out now
Injustice dev NetherRealm released its free-to-play companion sidekick app for Batman: Arkham Origins, and it's available now as a free download on the App Store. The iOS brawler precedes the game proper coming to PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and Wii U next week. I suited up for a brief go this morning on my iPhone 5, and the app looks to be a mobile adaptation of the combat, albeit in one-on-one scenarios. The controls are simple enough: You tap to punch, put three taps together quickly to pull of a combo, and hold two fingers down to block. There are QTE-like swipes that appear as you put together moves, and you can switch combat stances as you deal with successive goons. Progress along and you can upgrade Batman's skills and stances, as well as unlock Batsuits, some of which are exclusive to the mobile game. The App Store blurb also notes "cross-platform unlocks" to tempt those planning to reunite with the Dark Knight next week. On that note, check out Arkham Origins' TV commercial after the break for some full-on, hardcore Bruce Wayne staring.
Infinite Crisis trailer introduces Atomic Green Lantern
Sometimes, being a hero is more than a difficult job, it's a downright painful experience. Such is the case for the newest champion to join the Infinite Crisis line-up: Atomic Green Lantern. Hailing from a destroyed civilization, this Hal Jordan's ring has been powered-up with a radioactive isotope after being mysteriously deactivated (and the subsequent loss of his right arm). Unfortunately, that new power source comes with a cost -- a shorter, more painful life. In game, Atomic Green Lantern is a melee bruiser with skills that inflict that deadly radiation on others, such as Scorched Earth and Meltdown. Catch some tips and hints for using these skills and more in the Atomic Green Lantern spotlight video after the break. [Source: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment press release]
Batman: Arkham Origins mobile game for iOS, Android revealed
Fisticuff enthusiast NetherRealm Studios is developing a free-to-play adaption of the upcoming Batman: Arkham Origins for release on iOS during the "console game launch window," Warner Bros. announced in a press release yesterday. An Android version will surface later on "in the holiday timeframe." The mobile version will stage fights between Batman and "a number of DC Comics' most deadly assassins" within Gotham City. Besting bad guys will reward players with a "number of unique Batsuits" as well as "in-game currency and rewards." Those who register both the mobile and console versions with a Warner Bros. ID account will also gain access to exclusive content.
Infinite Crisis takes a deep look at blowing up cars
Superheroes don't fight clean. When a battle happens, you don't expect just a couple of guys punching each other, you expect people being thrown through buildings and cars being flung around like nothing. You expect destruction across the whole landscape, in other words. The developers working on Infinite Crisis understand that and know full well that part of the superhero equation is making sure that you get to have a major impact on the environment, and that's the subject of the newest behind-the-scenes video for the game. Both the destructible environments and the catastrophic event system seen in the game are meant to help players feel the impact of actions and of changing strategies. The battlefield isn't the same at the end as it is when you start. Walls get smashed, meteors fall and block off passages, and players adapt to new options and new circumstances. Take a closer look at what these systems mean in the video embedded just past the break. [Source: Turbine Entertainment press release]
Infinite Crisis amplifier set preview lands with October update
October's Infinite Crisis update brings a small preview of big changes. Turbine is adding an "early version" of the game's augmentation system, an addition that should help players to learn the basics of character enhancement before the full system goes live. Augmentation is accomplished via amplifier sets, which are collections of items designed to enhance champions in a variety of ways depending on role and play style. Each amplifier set is composed of four augments and three mods. Augments enhance stats, while mods enhance artifacts. Every amplifier item will be associated with a brand; each brand benefits specific champion roles. While the complete amplifier system will allow players to build their own sets from scratch, the sets introduced this month are package deals. Turbine has plans to release hundreds of augments and mods as Infinite Crisis grows. Check out the video after the jump for a quick look at amplifiers, or hit up the official post for a detailed breakdown.
WB Games Montreal gets $1.5 million investment from government
Quebec's government has invested $1.5 million in WB Games Montreal, developers of the upcoming Batman: Arkham Origins, as part of a five-year, $63 million expansion which will create 100 jobs at the company. WB Montreal Studio Chief Martin Carrier predicted the studio would play host to 500 people and "be one of the best-known studios in the world" by 2018, CTV News reports. Premier Pauline Marois, who announced the grant, also said that the game development scene in Montreal was the top market in Canada, and that Montreal itself is one of the top three cities in the world leading game development.
Injustice: Gods Among Us patch 1.06 brings free Zod 'Man of Steel' skin
Injustice: Gods Among Us invites patch 1.06 to join its ranks on October 1, bringing in a range of balance adjustments and gameplay fixes. Also dropping tomorrow, for free, is the Man of Steel skin for Zod. Fixes impact most of the characters in Injustice, with a notable amount of tweaking for Black Adam, Zatanna and Flash. With patch 1.06, Black Adam's Lightning Strike only hits grounded opponents when performed outside of a combo, his back-dashing covers less ground, the duration of his Orbs of Seth power is reduced and its cool-down increased, and he has an improved hit advantage with the Eye of Horus combo. The hitbox on Flash's Flying Uppercut has been improved and Zatanna no longer has an infinite combo against larger characters. Check out the hefty list of patch 1.06 fixes below.
